"Xiao Ning," Bai Shan spat, his handsome face twisting with a slightly hateful, mocking sneer. "If you have any actual guts, then fight me. Why do you always cower behind polite rejections when real challengers step up? Did you suffer a cultivation deviation out in the wilderness that made you weak and spineless?"
Yoriichi looked at the crackling spear tip, then up at Bai Shan's furious, arrogant eyes.
He understood the situation immediately, not through martial intuition, but through basic human psychology.
Over the past few months, Gu Xun'er had frequently visited Yoriichi's courtyard. Initially, it was out of deep concern for Xiao Yu's mysterious, freezing aura, as Xun'er brought mild warming elixirs to help her cousin regulate the bloodline's side effects.
However, as Xun'er spent more time sitting in the courtyard, she became genuinely impressed by Yoriichi's profound, almost alien understanding of cultivation theory.
When Yoriichi had casually offered her a slight, highly accurate observation regarding the suppression of the terrifying, golden heat hidden deep within her body, and then proceeded to teach her the basic, lung-expanding rhythm of Total Concentration Breathing, Xun'er was completely shocked.
The breathing technique, while simple, noticeably enhanced her physical stamina and helped ease the burden of her heavenly flame. Because of this, she had grown increasingly familiar and comfortable in his presence, enjoying his quiet, mature company far more than the boisterous crowds of the academy.
And Bai Shan then noticed.
Bai Shan, who considered himself the apex predator of the Outer Academy's social hierarchy, had been relentlessly courting Xun'er since the day she arrived.
Yet, the ethereal girl always treated him with a polite, freezing detachment. To see her willingly spend time with this stoic, red-haired "weirdo" from the Xiao Clan, chatting casually over tea, had driven Bai Shan's jealousy to an absolute boiling point.
"He is jealous," Yoriichi deduced internally, a faint, weary sigh echoing in his ancient soul. 'The delusions of youth. He wishes to humiliate me publicly to establish his dominance and impress her. He views me not as a warrior, but as a rival for affection.'
Bai Shan was incredibly confident today. He had recently broken through to the 9-Star Dou Shi realm, solidifying his position near the very top of the Outer Academy rankings. He knew the old rumors of Xiao Ning's real combat powers and bizarre sword techniques, but as time had passed and Xiao Ning continued to surrender to nobodies, Bai Shan dismissed the rumors as exaggerated garbage meant to save the Xiao Clan's face.
To him, Xiao Ning was just a weak, cowardly 3-Star Dou Shi who constantly backed down from fights.
"Look at him, Senior Bai Shan is so dominant!" a group of female students whispered excitedly from the sidelines, fawning over the handsome senior's aggressive, crackling aura.
"Yeah, Xiao Ning is just standing there. He doesn't even have his hand on his sword. He must be terrified out of his mind," another giggled.
Bai Shan smirked, hearing the whispers. He pushed his spear a fraction of an inch forward, attempting to force Yoriichi to stumble backward in fear and lose face before the crowd.
Yoriichi did not stumble. He simply took a single, fluid step back with his right foot, flawlessly maintaining his balance and distance without breaking eye contact. He gazed at Bai Shan with completely emotionless, tranquil crimson eyes.
The absolute lack of fear, anger, or even mild annoyance in Yoriichi's gaze infuriated Bai Shan even more. It was the exact same look a seasoned grandmaster gave to a noisy toddler throwing a tantrum.
"Draw your weapon, coward!" Bai Shan roared, his lightning Dou Qi crackling violently along the shaft of his spear, illuminating the stone corridor. "Or are you going to surrender to me just like you surrendered to that trash Tie?!"
Coincidentally, just as the tension reached its absolute peak, the crowd near the edge of the corridor parted.
Gu Xun'er, dressed in her elegant, pale-purple dress, was walking past after finishing her own assessment in a nearby arena. She heard Bai Shan's booming shout and gracefully made her way to the front of the crowd, her glowing golden eyes immediately locking onto the confrontation.
Seeing Xun'er arrive, Bai Shan's chest puffed out further. The stage was perfectly set for his triumphant display. He would crush this boy and prove who the true genius of the academy was.
Yoriichi saw Xun'er approach from his peripheral vision. He knew that if he backed down now and offered a polite rejection, Bai Shan would only escalate his harassment. Bai Shan's pride was too inflated; he would likely seek out Yoriichi in private, or worse, cause problems for Xiao Yu or Xun'er in the future just to provoke a reaction.
Some dogs only understood the stick.
"If you wish to test your spear against me that badly," Yoriichi spoke, his deep, resonant voice effortlessly cutting through the crackling lightning and the whispers of the crowd, "then I will gladly accept your challenge."
He offered Bai Shan a polite, incredibly calm nod.
"Good luck to you on this interesting fight."
Bai Shan threw his head back and laughed, a harsh, arrogant sound that echoed off the stone walls. He retracted his spear, spinning it flashily in his hands, leaving a trail of blue sparks.
"You're going to need a lot more than luck, Xiao Ning!" Bai Shan boasted loudly. He leaped backward with a burst of lightning Dou Qi, clearing the crowd and landing squarely in the center of an empty, elevated sparring arena nearby. He dropped into a perfect, aggressive combat stance, his 9-Star Dou Shi aura flaring wildly.
The crowd erupted into cheers, instantly flooding toward the arena to secure a good view of the impending slaughter.
Yoriichi remained perfectly calm. He adjusted his dark robes, and began walking steadily toward the stone steps of the arena.
However, just as he took his third step, he felt a pair of soft, delicate hands gently grab his right forearm, halting his advance.
Yoriichi paused and turned his head.
Gu Xun'er was standing right beside him. Her golden eyes were filled with a complex mixture of deep annoyance directed at the posturing Bai Shan, and genuine, protective concern directed at him.